The Last Three Months…

Time really flies. Three months have passed since I last posted anything. Had wanted to post but just didn’t get to actually doing it.

Yes had been very busy with work – budget preparation, policy reviews, meetings, reports.

My mum had her right cataract removed. I had to accompany her for post-op appointments on top of my own medical tests and appointments.

My cousin and her family came back from Honolulu so had the customary meals with them and spent some days playing with her children.

The two children of another cousin spent four days or so of their school holidays with me over two weeks.

There were the lunches and dinners which I had to attend.

And there were many movies, serial dramas and new seasons of television shows to watch!

Wonder Girls Nobody (Chinese Version with Lyrics)

Well this song proved to be so popular that the Wonder Girls have to record a Chinese version of it. It was released in February 2010, some 14 months after the original version. One wonders whether this will be a mandarinpop hit since most people should be bored by it now.

Since I have posted the various versions here and there are still people who occasionally come to my blog for the lyrics, I decided to post the Chinese version here as well. Within brackets, is the ping yin (romanized chinese) lyrics in italics with English translation.



you know i still love you baby
& it will never change
我爱你 [wo ai ni (i love you)]

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

乱了心扉 [luan le xin fei (my heart is confused)]
我不属于谁 [wo bu shu you shui (i don't belong to anyone)]
别装作无所谓 [bie zhuang zuo wu suo wei (don't pretend it doesn't matter)]
刻意忽略我的美 [ke yi hu lue wo de mei (deliberately neglect my beauty)]
高脚酒杯 [gao jiao jiu bei (a wine goblet)]
已臻满颓废 [yi zhen man tui fei (has reached its dispirited fill)]
心慢慢在破碎 [xin man man zai po sui (my heart is slowly cracking)]
变成一种负累 [bian cheng yi zhong fu lei (becoming a kind of burden)]

我就像受伤的玫瑰 [wo jiu xiang shou shang de mei gui (i am like an injured rose)]
需要你浇灌着泪水 [xu yao ni jao guan zhe lei shui (needing to be watered by your] teardrops)
你掩饰这伤悲 [ni yan shi zhe shang bei (you gloss over this sorrow)]
连头都不敢回 [nian tou dou bu gan hui (not even daring to turn your head around)]
像独自长达三年的憔悴 [xiang du zi chang da san nian de qiao cui (it's like a forlornly crinkle drawn out over 3 years)]

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

慢慢体会 [man man ti hui (gradually begin to feel)]
幸福的滋味 [xing fu de zi wei (the feeling of happiness)]
只要与你相随 [zhi yao yu ni xiang sui (if only to go hand in hand with you)]

世界都变得完美 [shi jie dou bian de wan mei (the world has become perfect)]
将友谊剪碎 [jiang you yi jian sui (to shred friendship)]
爱那么的昂贵 [ai na me de ang gui (love is so costly)]
就去了防备 [jiu qu le fang bei (doing away with my caution)]
在心里面陶醉 [zai xin li mian tao zui (my heart is intoxicated inside)]
这份爱好像是花蕊 [zhe fen ai hao xiang shi hua rui (this love is like a flower pistil)]
别轻易就让它枯萎 [bie qing yi jiu rang ta ku wei (don't feebly let it wilt)]
未来要怎么追 [wei lai yao zen me zhui (how to pursue my future)]
请不要不理会 [qing bu yao bu li hui (please don't ignore)]
只想和你紧紧地依偎 [zhi xiang he ni jin jin de yi wei (just want to cuddle with you closely)]

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

i don't want nobody body
i don't want nobody body
遇见你 [yu jian ni (meeting you)]
相信上帝 [xiang xin shang di (believe in god)]
才能让我安稳入睡 [cai neng rang wo an wen ru shui (only then can i sleep peacefully)]

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

i want nobody nobody but you
i want nobody nobody but you
不管谁先伤害谁 [bu guan shui xian shang hai shui (no matter who hurts who first)]
我只需要你安慰 [wo zhi xu yao ni an wei (i just need your comfort)]
i want nobody nobody nobody nobody

back to days when we were so young and wild and free
nothing else matter other than you and me, so tell me why can’t it be
please let me live my life my way, why do you push me away
i don’t want nobody nobody nobody nobody but…

Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream

Had not have ice cream from the supermarket for quite some time now. So when I saw there was an offer of $23.90 for any two pints of Häagen-Dazs ice cream at Cold Storage I chose Mango & Passion Fruit and Cappuccino Truffle. They were great.

The Mango & Passion Fruit was very creamy with the right tartness. The Cappuccino Truffle was not sweet at all and has pieces of truffle inside. Excellent.

The Singapore Häagen-Dazs website has a Mood-O-Meter game quiz to determine which flavour of its ice cream you should choose depending on your mood. After answering the five questions, it recommended that I have the Chocolate flavour, which incidentally has always been one of my favourites.

The Cold Storage offer of $23.90 for two pints of Häagen-Dazs ice cream ends 12 May 10. Must get at least another two pints before then.

What colour T-shirt to wear in Bangkok?

Can’t wear red.

Can’t wear yellow.

Can’t wear pink.

Can’t wear mulit-colour.

Should not wear black – too hot.

Should not wear white – can get easily dirtied unless you are very careful.

Thankfully and hopefully can still can wear those blue, grey and brown ones in my wardrobe.

Phlegm

This mucus thing that makes you cough, get bronchitis and even pneumonia.

Simply put, if the phlegm dries up, it clogs the tubes and linings in your lungs which tickles and irritates them and hence makes you cough. If they don’t get cleared, they might block small sections of your lungs, or more precisely the bronchial tubes, which might get infected with bacteria (bronchitis). If infection is serious, you might end up with pneumonia.

This is why you need plenty of fluid to help prevent the phlegm from drying and thickening and at the same time flush them out. Breathing in moist air helps. That’s why you feel better in a hot shower (because of the steam) and worst in an air-con environment because the air is basically drier unless you use a humidifier. If you feel the air you are breathing in is dry, breath through a wet towel.

When the dried phlegm is moistens and loosens, it starts to slide down the bronchial tubes. This tickles and irritates making you cough. Coughing in these instances is good, as it forces the phlegm to go up and out of your throat and nose.

When phlegm gets stuck in your nose and goes into the sinuses, you will most likely get a headache and worst case scenario, sinusitis.

In hospitals, they have these vacuum suction machines to extract phlegm. A nurse might turn you on your front and pound your back with cupped hands to loosen the phlegm for you to cough out or be extracted.

I have been trying to clear my lungs of phlegm over the past three weeks and I am glad I have finally succeeded after three visits to the doctor and spending $119.

I think it began two days before Chinese New Year (CNY). I went out to do some errands and this guy standing one body away from me in a packed MRT started coughing. On my way back, the taxi driver was also coughing. On CNY Eve, I got a dried throat, headache and a slight fever. Drank plenty of fluid and took two panadols. I seemed to have warded off the infection.

However, on the second day of CNY, out of the blue, I started coughing. It got worst and so I went to consult my doctor on Thursday, 18 February and was given two days medical leave and three days worth of medication, including antibiotics. Seemed to be recovering but it got bad when I went back to the office. So on Tuesday, 23 February I went back to my doctor. Was given two days medical leave and I took one day leave; resting at home for the following three days. My conditions improved. There was less phlegm though I was still coughing once in a while.

I had wanted to go to my aunt’s place and play with my cousins' children. But decided against it since I was still coughing periodically even though I seemed to have recovered. However I thought it was better to get rid of the coughing entirely and went back to my doctor again on Friday, 5 March. She said that I still have small amount of phlegm in different locations of my lungs. Because they were tiny amount, they were not big enough to pass out and get cleared. These small patches of phlegm occasionally irritate the lining of the lungs and hence I coughed.

I have stopped coughing for the last two days and I believe I have fully recovered – just in time to have lunch with my cousins’ children and play with them.

Maison from Pâtisserie Glacé

Since 2008, Pâtisserie Glacé has been making a name for itself. Helmed by Master Chef Yamashita who hails from Nara, Japan, this Pâtisserie does not use baking powder, stabilisers, preservatives, or butter cream. As such, its cakes are naturally very soft.

Its Strawberry Shortcake was good. It is soft, fresh and not sweet at all.

Its Mont Blanc, made with chestnut paste from France and chestnut from Japan, was something one either like or don’t like. It was a bit of a disappointment for me as there wasn’t any distinctive taste. I wouldn’t know it was chestnut paste unless I was told.

Its Opera, almond sponge cake with coffee and chocolate filling, was rich but not too rich.

Its Baumkuchen, tasted like kueh lapis, minus the richness and fat of butter. Hence it is a good, healthy and unusual substitute for kueh lapis.


Its Masion, shaped like a house, has four different types of sponge cakes (vanilla, organic green tea, coffee and Belgian chocolate) with four different fresh creams. They complemented each other and one of the more unique and best cake I have tasted. My mum loves it. And that’s why I serve this to my Chinese New Year guests this year.


The Masion can be purchased as a single piece or comes in Half (for about 5 persons) or Whole (for about 10 persons) size cake.

Pâtisserie Glacé is located at Icon Village and opens from 11 am till 7 pm on weeknights or 6 pm on weekends and public holidays. Delivery service is available.

Chinese New Year Goodies

Pineapple tarts, love letters, kueh bangkit, kueh lapis, kok chai, and all sort of cookies – these are the usual CNY goodies you buy to eat and serve your guests. Imagine eating these at every place you visit and then at home and at the office – enough is enough even though this is just a yearly affair.

I started to buy less and less of these goodies each year because I don’t want to end up having so much of them left. I remembered one year I have four different types of pineapple tarts and three different types of love letters – some were bought by me whilst the others were given to me. It is usual for relatives and friends to give each other these goodies. When you visit each other you see the same kind of goodies and chances are you won’t be eating them as you have them at home or you are expecting more of these at other places you will be visiting.

Two years ago I decided to serve my guests non-traditional Chinese New Year goodies instead. Now I serve them chocolates, cakes and ice cream.


This year I have baton marechaux, raspberry snowball, and varieties of chocolates. I had bought different ice creams the last two years. This year I made orange sorbet and served them.

It is a challenge to come up with very good, a bit not so common and appropriate cake to serve each year. Appropriate because you don’t want the cake to be too heavy as your guests probably already had a fair share of the usual goodies and may be expecting more at the next home.

Hopefully this will make visiting my place less of a routine and more of expectation.

Where to cut my hair?

Like most people, I prefer to go to my regular doctor, dentist, hairstylist and even grocer simply because they know my needs.

So when my regular hairstylist suffered a near-death incident, took almost half a year to recover and now decided to work on a free-lance basis operating from the late afternoon onwards, I had to find an alternative.

I decided to try those around my neighbourhood. Went into one salon and had a not bad haircut. And it only cost $12 (without wash and blow dry). More importantly I saved a lot of time – no need to travel to Orchard and stick to any appointed time. But unfortunately this salon stopped operating after my second haircut there. That meant I had to look for another salon. Fortunately, the new operator who took over the salon, opened within a week and the haircut was even better and cost only $8. This compared to the $22 to a high of $69, for just haircut, wash and blow dry, I had paid in Orchard area.

Now that I have so much less hair to cut, there is no need for layering and texturing and what-have-you, just a simple neat haircut will do. On my way home from work, I will pass by the salon. At that non-peak hour, if I see there is no one or just one person in the salon, I will drop in for my haircut. Really save a lot of time and convenience besides money.

The hairstylist recently asked me whether I wanted to colour my hair for the new lunar year. I don’t need to and furthermore I think I still have prejudice against neighbourhood salons not to entrust them with putting so much chemicals (must check what they are using) on whatever little hair that is left on me.

Now my mum goes there too.

Just hope there won’t be any change in operator or hairstylists.

Interesting Fact about February 2010

An interesting fact about February 2010 is that it has exactly:

4 Mondays,
4 Tuesdays,
4 Wednesdays,
4 Thursdays,
4 Fridays,
4 Saturdays, and
4 Sundays.

This happens only once every 11 years. The last time was in 2001 and the next will be in 2021.

Tell Me Why by Declan Galbraith

This song, by Declan John Galbraith, was released on 9 December 2002, ten days before his 11th birthday.



In my dream, children sing
A song of love for every boy and girl
The sky is blue and fields are green
And laughter is the language of the world
Then I wake and all I see is a world full of people in need

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos’I don't understand
When so many need somebody
We don't give a helping hand
Tell me why?

Every day I ask myself
What will I have to do to be a man?
Do I have to stand and fight
To prove to everybody who I am?
Is that what my life is for
To waste in a world full of war?

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos’ I don't understand
When so many need somebody
We don't give a helping hand
Tell me why (tell me why)
Tell me why (tell me why)
Tell me why (tell me why)
Just tell me why (why, why, why)

Tell me why (why) does it have to be like this?
Tell me why (why) is there something I have missed?
Tell me why (why) cos’ I don't understand
When so many need somebody
We don't give a helping hand
Tell me why (why why, does the tiger run?)
Tell me why (why why, do we shoot the gun?)
Tell me why (why why, do we never learn?)
Can someone tell us why we let the forest burn?

(why why do we say we care?) tell me why
(why why do we stand and stare?) tell me why
(why why do the dolphins cry?) tell me why
Can someone tell us why we let the ocean die?

(why why if we’re all the same?) tell me why
(why why do we pass the blame?) tell me why
(why why does it never end?)
Can someone tell us why we cannot just be friends?

Why why?

To know more about him go here: Declan Galbraith Official Website

One Flaw In Women

This was circulated via email to me. Dedicated to all the women I know, especially the six gals of 2S4.

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into His sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, “Why are you spending so much time on this one?”

And the Lord answered, “Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable, and able to run on diet Coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart — and she will do everything with only two hands.”

The angel was astounded at the requirements. “Only two hands! No way! And that’s just on the standard model? That’s too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish.”

“But I won’t,” the Lord protested. “I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18-hour days.”

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. “But you have made her so soft, Lord.” “She is soft,” the Lord agreed, “but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.”

“Will she be able to think?” asked the angel.

The Lord replied, “Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate.”

The angel then noticed something, and, reaching out, touched the woman’s cheek. “Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.”

“That’s not a leak,” the Lord corrected, “that’s a tear!”

“What’s the tear for?” the angel asked.

The Lord said, “The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride.”

The angel was impressed. “You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing.”

And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships, and they carry burdens; but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don’t take 'no' for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so that their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They’ll drive, fly, walk, run, or e-mail you this to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

However, if there is one flaw in women, it is that they forget their worth.

Meeting Old Friends

On 30 December 2006, I met up with my ex-classmates, their spouses and children. That particular gathering was kind of a big thing to us: it was our 30th Anniversary of knowing one another. Everyone was making it a point to be present.

I have missed a number of gatherings and was looking forward to it. As such when a number of them couldn’t turn up I was very disappointed.

Three years later, on 23 January 2010, we met again. A couple of them whom I have not met the last time and for a very long time was present. It was one of the unforgettable highlights of that evening.

There were many thoughts and feelings of course when you meet up with old friends who had and have been, and hopefully continue to be, part of my life. And one of the binding elements in our group must surely be those six women. I felt the strength that these six women have and I immediately remember something I received through an email which is befitting of them, which I will reproduce in the next post.

We all have certainly aged. We all have certainly been wiser. Is there anything I would have changed in my life if I had the foresight of today? I can’t think of any now but one thing I certainly would not want to change is the journey I went through with these old friends.

Eight Pains in Life – Fugitive Lee Du-Yong

According to the scriptwriter of the KBS drama, Fugitive Lee Du-Yong, there are eight pains in life.

“They are the basic suffering we all go through. Besides birth, aging, sickness and death there are four additional pains to life. First is the pain of hating someone else. Next is the pain of not being able to get or do what you want. Then, the pain of parting with loved ones; not being able to meet your beloved. Finally the pain resulting from conflict between your thoughts, heart and behaviour. This pain results from the imbalance of your soul.”